When In Rome
by Comicker
Summary: Over the span of three simple days, I've learned three incredibly important things: One, my brother is a member of one of Konoha's most dangerously elite gangs. Two, I'm going to Rome. And three? I'm losing my mind. SasuSakuIta AU.
1. Lighting the Spark

**When in Rome - SasuSakuIta  
**_by Comicker_  
an AU Narutoverse fic set in modern day, re-invented from my old account._  
Sasuke POV.  
Hope you enjoy!  
_

_When in Rome,_

_Do as the Romans do._

**Chapter One - Lighting the Spark  
**

* * *

"Sakura, would you please quit it?"

"Let me just finish putting the pins in—"

"Dammit!"

"Sorry!"

Staring into a three panelled mirror, a fairly frustrated male made a more-than-annoyed face. Stray strands of onyx hair fell in front of his visage, and with his hands currently 'occupied,' he had absolutely no way of ridding them. He tried to blow them away, but to no avail. They tickled and teased his nose. His dark, uninterested eyes bore holes into the mirror—completely fed up with staring at himself for the past half hour. He jerked as he felt another pin prick his wrist, and almost went to pull his hand back.

"Sasuke-kun! Stop trying to mess me up!"

"I don't see why all of this is necessary." Sasuke's voice was monotonic as he gazed down to his right. The girl who was sowing the cuffs of his sleeve, Sakura, looked busy at work. Although she was a terrible singer, writer, dancer, artist, and almost every other creative art out there—she wasn't half bad at sowing. He scowled as another pin punctured the skin on the side of his palm. Well, maybe not today. She had the brightest pink hair, _natural _pink hair at that. Its shine on its own was too unnatural.

"You, Sasuke-kun, are attending a very special banquet." She spoke like an overprotective mother. Sasuke scoffed and looked back into the mirror. It was true. He had been born into a family of three; his father, his mother and his brother. His father and mother, who owned a world wide chain of automotive manufacturers, had not been in contact with him for years. Now, as the summer season was approaching, they had decided to throw a gala for the entire company and its contacts. This was to be hosted by the Uchiha _family_, not just the owners of the corporation. It was this small factor that made it almost mandatory for the Uchiha family in its entirety to attend. This meant himself, his mother, his father…

"I don't want to go."

"Why, because Itachi-san is going?"

"Don't give him honorifics."

The day outside was clear. It was the middle of June and the sun was high, a perfect day to be mentally tortured by the family he hated most dearly. Their small town was just off the coast of the ocean. It had a large population, however, which made it a central hotspot for business. Konoha was known for having its clear, pristine days of warmth. It was a beautiful little city that prided itself in its high education. Sasuke had lived here since he was born; never one thought of leaving the city had crossed his mind. Unlike his parents and his brother, he had rather enjoyed the general splendor that a small yet bustling city had to offer. That and he could never leave the people behind.

"Where is Naruto?" Sakura mumbled incoherently, looking around Sasuke's legs to the door. "He should have been here ten minutes ago. We'll definitely be late…"

Naruto, Sasuke's best friend, was also his right hand man. Even though it was an Uchiha hosted gala, there was absolutely no way the taciturn male would leave without a little sanity at his side. Naruto was far from sane, however; comparing him to the mindless drones of businessmen, he was a god given light. The three of them; Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura, had all been best friends since they were very young. They all attended the same school, and were eventually shipped off to the same high school as well. Now, in their final year, they had everything to gain and nothing to lose. They were three very different people, which made them the most unlikely of friends.

"He's probably eating ramen somewhere." Sasuke finally jerked his hand away from Sakura, examining the cuff of his sleeve with little to no real interest in her stitching abilities. He stepped down from the platform and stretched out his arms, beginning to grow slightly curious as to the blond idiot's whereabouts. Behind him, Sakura began packing her supplies away in a Tupper Wear container.

"Be nice to your family."

"Hn."

"Don't throw cake at Itachi again, please?"

"I was eight."

"You were thirteen."

"What does it matter?" Sasuke pressed his palm to his temple. "You're being annoying. It's my family; I'll deal with it how I choose." His voice held some discontent. His family had been an issue for years now. And to make matters worse, his brother…

The door blew open. Sasuke didn't flinch as the over-anxious blond jumped happily into the room—instant ramen in hand. He was dressed in a full white suit with a red bowtie, completely contrasting to his usual yellow figure. There were also three matching scratch marks on either side of his cheek. Naruto liked to believe he was a fox.

"So, are we going to this shindig or what?" He tossed the empty carton of ramen onto the floor, completely disregarding the cleanliness of the room. Sasuke sighed as he heard the dull crack of a fist connecting to the side of a jaw. He should've known better to litter on Sakura's floor. Sasuke rolled his shoulders, hearing a small crack as he did so. That was definitely stress.

"Are you two done fooling around?" It wasn't like he cared, really. Moreover, if they were late for introductions, he'd never heard the end of it. Naruto, obviously amused with Sasuke's lack of interest in attending, grinned brightly. There was nothing more pleasing than seeing Sasuke in such dismay.

"Yeah, for sure!"

"Don't screw this up." Sakura cautioned Naruto. "This is a big night for Sasuke-kun."

_Big night, _Sasuke thought. _Great._

* * *

"This is sickening."

The hotel was beautifully lit. It had to be over forty floors high; each balcony bearing some sort of hanging light or lamp. The entrance was concealed with a large, black canvas conveying the Uchiha logo; under it were silver italics spelling out the Uchiha name. Even the concierges were dressed to impress, each one wearing a long flowing black tux with the Uchiha logo stitched into the front pocket. Roses lined the brick walls leading up to the hotel sign, intertwined with several decorative lights that flickered and danced along with the sound of light Debussy playing in the background.

Sasuke crossed his arms along his chest, gazing intently at the cheery doormen that puked excitement at the site of any given person. They must be paid a hell of a load of money to be that excited about a dull gala. He brushed a strand of hair from his face, still observing the men. How could they possibly be so motivated? He couldn't go in that way. They were probably contagious. It wasn't as if he disliked happiness, no… he just wished it was never invented. When you had a neglectful and selfish family, how else were you supposed to feel?

He sighed. Naruto was taking too long to park the car. It figured. And with all these greeters, they never once thought about paying somebody to park the cars. They just figured since it was Konoha, people wouldn't want their cars parked by someone else. How did that remotely make sense? Maybe his family was just being cheap, again. Sakura had gone off to meet with a couple acquaintances, which left Sasuke alone.

"Excuse me, are you Sasuke Uchiha?"

Sasuke tensed. Now that he thought about it, he did look a little bit like a creep—standing in the middle of a red carpet by the road, intently observing a group of men. He shuddered mentally, and for one moment, considered ignoring the voice and continuing on his slow but steady progression into the hotel.

"Yes." He replied coolly. Looking over his shoulder, Sasuke practically had to gaze down at the seemingly young boy behind him. He had wild brown hair and goggles on his forehead. There was no way he belonged here. Of course, observing him further, Sasuke noticed that his clothes were tattered and torn.

"Your family makes me sick." The young boy had a lot of nerve in him, he gave him that much. He smirked, examining the boy once more before turning around and heading towards the open doors. Naruto and Sakura would just have to find their own way in.

"Sasuke-sama, we're so glad you could make it."

"Mrs. Uchiha has been awaiting your arrival, sir."

Sasuke barely acknowledged their presence as he quickly shuffled past them and through the front doors. (Really, did they expect him to stop and uphold a conversation? Obviously they didn't know their bosses very well.) He faintly noticed that most of the staff seemed to stiffen upon his entrance; greeting him nervously and with a deep bow. The Uchiha name must have left a considerable impression upon them.

The main lobby itself was breathtaking. It was decorated from head to toe, all with the finest and most exquisite ornaments from around the globe. Sasuke stopped mid step, gazing up dully at the sparkling chandelier that clinked from the slight breeze coming in through the door. The people were scattered amongst the floor either socializing or lining up at the seven table long buffet. Sasuke ran a hand through his ebony hair, trying to suppress the amount of suffocation he felt. The smell of overused cologne was torture. He stood awkwardly for only a moment longer, taking one last look at the overall splendor. They must have spent a fortune on all the decorations.

"You're looking dashing as always, _oniichan._"

Knock off all thoughts of this possibly being a pleasant evening. The bastard. Sasuke had a brief mental spasm, contemplating the option of taking the meat knife at the buffet table and giving him a savory end. When he realized that this plan was flawed (considering he was more than twenty feet away from the damned thing,) he had no other option.

"Itachi."

The man standing in front of him was far from anything unpleasant (well, on the _outside_.) His hair was much lighter than his own and tended to grow much longer. He was only a bit taller than Sasuke and was definitely more defined. Itachi could pull off a tuxedo much better than the younger Uchiha ever could.

"How are you?" He smiled that fake, stupid smile. Sasuke wanted to smack it off his face.

"Pleasant." Sasuke replied dully.

"Have you seen Mom or Dad yet?"

"I just got here."

"Ah." Itachi smiled again, slipping his hands into his pant pockets. "Well, I'm sure they're looking for you. Why don't we find them together?"

"I'll pass." _I'd rather eat live alligator._

Just as the conversation died, and Sasuke was ready to take his leave from the horribly awkward situation, he heard a rather disconcerting laugh. He froze, knowing all too well who was approaching them, and knew from that moment on there was no escape.

"Itachi!" Naruto plastered a wide grin on his face, extending his hand in Itachi's direction as he approached the two brothers. "It's so nice to see you again! Where have you been?"

Sasuke was livid. Not only had this turned out to be the most horrible night ever, but now the blonde dobe had started conversation with his _brother._ Naruto knew just how much he despised Itachi… why the hell would he pursue an actual conversation with the man? There was no way in determining Naruto's logic. Sasuke pursed his lips slightly, feeling his fingers grow tense in his pocket as he glared down Naruto and Sakura, who had come following him shortly after. She glanced at Sasuke for a moment, examining his expression. He swore he saw her smile.

Damn it all to hell.

"Naruto-kun, it really has been too long." Itachi took the blonds hand happily, showing no sign of hesitation. Sasuke was at a horribly mismatched family reunion. "I've been traveling abroad. I'm trying to expand our business over international waters… it's been quite a struggle really." He smiled again, letting go of Naruto's hand and turning to Sakura.

"Well if I do recall, you are Miss Haruno… correct?"

"Y-yes!" She beamed, fluttering those damn emerald eyes. Sasuke half twitched, pretending to care about the alignment of a picture frame in the far distance. He never thought that his brother's fake persona would be able to break through, but here they were; standing in the exact scenario Sasuke had imagined. Lovely.

"The last time I saw you I believe it was with half a cake in my face." He laughed heartily, which Sasuke promptly replied with a grunt. That was his thirteenth birthday party… not too many good memories from that day.

"Yes, it's been quite some time." She offered her response too pleasantly. Sasuke couldn't help but notice the charmed look on her face, although he tried desperately to ignore it. What was so damn charming about Itachi? He had no amiable qualities. Nothing about him was actually appealing… why would any women see it differently then he did? Itachi was a weasel. There was no way they'd know that, though…

"Actually, would you mind if I…" There was an awkward sort of pause that fell between the group as Itachi looked for the right word. "…asked you to dance, Miss Haruno?"

"I'd love to dance!" There was an overwhelming joy that swept across her face that left the younger Uchiha feeling uneasy. He scratched absentmindedly at his face as they continued on with their brief discussion before heading off towards the dance floor. Naruto turned to face his friend, offering a sympathetic smile.

"What."

"I'm sorry." Naruto shuffled his feet. "I forgot."

"Forgot what?" Sasuke snapped right back, almost bearing his teeth in his rage.

"That you hated him."

"Oh." Sasuke hissed. "You _forgot_, huh?"

"Hey now," He rubbed the back of his head anxiously. "Don't get angry at me! I'm not the one dancing with the man. Besides, you never even explained why you hate him."

"Yeah… well, that's not important." He didn't want to talk about it, let alone suddenly bring up the scarring memories of his past. That wasn't something you just brought up on occasion. Sasuke looked over at the dance floor. That was right. Naruto wasn't the one dancing with him. Then again, he had no right to tell her she couldn't. It wasn't like they were… an item or anything. Never was and never would be. Sakura was far too annoying and naggy to ever hold any real feelings for. However, as he watched her, dancing in the hands of a man who could never be trusted, he felt a strange tinge in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't trust Itachi. Sakura knew more about his family, his _true _feelings for his family, more than anyone else. She had been there to pick up the pieces of his shattered reality, much like Naruto had been. Still, seeing Naruto in Itachi's arms would not have irked him this much...

"When in Rome, Sasuke…" Naruto grasped Sasuke's shoulder, staring out onto the dance floor as he did. "…do as Romans do."

"What is that supposed to mean?" The ravenette raised a brow at his dunderhead of a friend's musing, but didn't suspect that there was one bit of relevant moral knowledge dwelling in the forefront of Naruto's mind.

"I don't know. I read it on a bumper sticker. It sounds smart." Exactly.

"…Hn."

This was going to be one long night.


	2. The Trip

**When In Rome **by Comicker**  
SasuSakuIta**

Chapter Two:

The Trip**_  
_**

_When in Rome,  
do as the Romans do._

**Authors Note:** Hi everyone! Thank you for your lovely reviews and corrections, I really do appreciate it~ A few things to clarify before you begin, this WILL be a fluffy fic. I'm just getting past all the beginning plot before things can finally move, but trust me when I say things will get complicated. 3 Also, usuratonkachi is Sasuke's canon way of calling Naruto an idiot if you didn't already know. Also, Naruto's ringtone is Wind by Akeboshi, the first Naruto ending theme song! Anyways, hope you enjoy! ^^

* * *

_The night was calm at the Uchiha compound on Broadway Street. A young boy stood alone on a nearby hill, gazing up quietly into the sky. All around him, small glowing flies danced in the air, leaving a trail of light in their wake that only lasted moments before fading away. Slowly he reached out to grasp one of the small insects in his palm, but his arm was too short. A small whine rang out through the silence as the boy tried again, desperately wanting to see the light in his own hand. It looked warm. Again, he failed to grab it, this time stumbling forward a little towards the edge. His small, dark grey eyes clouded with tears as each futile attempt to grab the beautiful floating bugs failed. He gave in, letting his small body fall to the ground with another sharp whine. Sobs racked his small frame as he grabbed desperately at the grass. He couldn't grab the fireflies, he just couldn't reach. Itachi used to do it all the time, so why couldn't he? Why was he always so much better at everything?_

_You are weak._

_Weak._

_Weak..._

_Beep._

_Beep._

Beep.

**BEEP.**

_**BEEP!**_

Sasuke awoke to both a massive headache and a horrifyingly putrid smell. The sun pouring in from the poorly covered windows burned his eyes, making it almost impossible for him to see. He took in a deep, forced breath as he brought up his forearm to cover his eyes. An Uchiha hangover was not one of the most pleasant things to experience. It seemed as if someone had spiked the punch from the previous night, and without knowing (but _well aware _by the taste…) he'd drank a little too much. Who could blame him though? The entire night he'd felt suffocated on every angle. If dealing with his back-stabbing friends wasn't enough, he had to entertain a plethora of over-enthusiastic gala guests on behalf of his familial obligation to the company. To sum it up without using a wealth of inappropriate words, it had been shit. Sasuke groaned lightly as he tried to turn over onto his side, feeling the stiffness of his arm shift underneath his weight. The whole thing had passed in a blur. Meeting with his parents, meeting their relatives and company contacts… it had all seemed really pointless. It was one of the final weekends before the end of school, and he had to waste time on such—

Sasuke's eyes shot open. Scrambling out from out under the sheets, he half fell off the mattress as he tried to gain some sort of footing. Yesterday was Sunday. Today was Monday. And according to his bedside clock, he was already late for class. He scanned his room in a daze, looking for the pile of clothes he had set out for the next day. In contrast to his family's highly expensive homes, Sasuke lived in a one bedroom apartment near the cities edge and had lived alone for years now, filing for emancipation and separating himself from his parents at the ripe young age of thirteen. There was no way he could possibly stay there, not after what they had done.

Not after what _he_had done.

_**BZZT! BZZT!**_

_~ Cultivate your hunger before you idealize, motivate your anger to make them all realize... ~  
_

Sasuke heard the vibrating and knew who it was before he even needed to look. Naruto's ringtone was always the same. Although he had considered something much more goofy and suiting to his best friend, Akeboshi was their favourite band. Still searching for the pile of clean laundry he'd arranged the night before, he quickly reached over to his bedside table and scooped up the small black mobile into his palm. "Usuratonkachi." Sasuke held the phone in between his ear and shoulder as he begun quickly slipping out of the previous nights clothes.

"_Where are you, teme!" _The voice screamed through the receiver. He winced as he continued to strip down, finally seeing the pile of laundry on the floor out of the corner of his eye. "I'm obviously not there..." Sasuke muttered. "Baka."

"_Two words for you my friend! UNIT. TEST. Did you forget! Kakashi-sensei said so on Friday."_

Having dressed himself quicker than originally planned, the terribly late Uchiha cared less about what he was wearing and focused his attention on the matter at hand. What did they have a unit test in today? He smacked himself lightly in the forehead, trying to remember. His current mental state for the morning did not call for remembering important details. All he had was a vague idea. They'd covered the content for the test on Friday...

"_Teme! What happened after I drove you home?" _The phone was shouting at him again.

"What does Kakashi-sensei teach?"

"_Uh… ENGLISH! What are you, stupid—" _The phone went dead. Sasuke shut the mobile quickly and slid it back into his pocket. There was no point in bringing a backpack, and really no point in going. However, without that test mark… the younger Uchiha couldn't even bring himself to think about losing his top average. There was just no way. No doubt Shikamaru Nara would have been thrilled to see him absent, but he wouldn't give him the satisfaction. He stormed out of his bedroom and to the door, lost in the idea that Itachi and his family could have ruined, yet again, something this close to him.

* * *

"You came half an hour late and you still did better than me!"

"What do you expect? He knows the material backwards."

"Shut up, Nara! Nobody asked you!"

The cafeteria was bustling with activity. It was a large, rectangular room that held about thirty some-odd tables, all aligned horizontally in rows. Most of the kids moved them about, especially because most of them had been claimed. The tables near the cafeteria doors were for the juniors and near the back were for the seniors. It wasn't made this way, this was the way the students decided it would be. The gangs hung out near the vending machines, the socially normal kids hung out at the back tables, and the rest were scattered amongst the remaining tables. It was still early, and lunch had just begun. Considering it was a nice day, most of the juniors went outside to eat their lunches. English class, which let out an extra five minutes early, was right beside the cafeteria. It was only natural that Naruto would get there first.

"Sasuke, do you remember what you got for 3b?" Leaning over their usual table near the back of the cafeteria was Shikamaru Nara, the holder of one of the highest IQs throughout the entire school. He had brown, slick hair that he tied up in a pony at the back. People thought he used gel to stick his hair up, but no. It was all natural. He also had a tendency to grow rather bored with things. Currently, he was competing with Sasuke, Neji Hyuuga and Sakura for the top school ranking placement and the chance to win a giant scholarship from the principle, Tsunade. Sasuke had been in the lead for a long time, but since school was almost over, the competition was getting fierce.

"A." Sasuke folded his arms across his chest and kicked back in his chair, looking ahead rather bored. The test had been nothing to rush to school for. Shikamaru laughed quietly, sitting back down in his chair and rubbing a hand to his head."Aah, I should have thought so." Currently, only Shikamaru, Naruto and Sasuke were at the cafeteria table. It seemed as if everybody else took the extra time provided for the test, which left three rather confident boys.

"Well, I did alright!" Naruto pounded a chest to his fist and stood on top of his chair, causing a scene in front of nobody in particular. "I finished before the rest of the class, and I didn't leave not any questions blank! Dattebayo!"

"You _just_ spoke incorrectly." Shikamaru sighed, rubbing his fingers against his temple. "You mean you didn't leave any questions blank… right? Way to bomb an English test…"

"Uh… yeah!"

"Ch, baka."

"Hn…"

The doors to the cafeteria flew opened, and people begun pouring in at the chime of the bell. Sasuke kept an eye on the door as a few more of their friends filed in: Kiba, Shino, Chouji, Hinata and Sakura. The one thing about their whole clique was that everybody was different. Not even the girls were the same. Everybody had their own, unique personality. Nobody was really a mindless drone—

"Sasuke-kun!" Wrapping her arms around his neck, Ino snuggled her face into the nape of his neck. Speaking of mindless drones... "Oh, Sasuke-kun, I was so worried when I heard you spent all night alone on the street, you have no idea how many people I had to call to see if you were okay!" Sasuke held his breath as she held him from the behind, swaying his body with her as she continued to ramble on and on about her struggle. Hadn't it been a bigger struggle for him? And besides, he didn't even end up on the street. The others arrived at the table with a collective snicker, something Sasuke couldn't stand in the least. "Ino, get off me." The Uchiha grumbled, pulling himself away roughly and keeping his back faced to her.

"Everyone, I have an announcement." Sakura held a pile of papers in her hand as she stood at the front of the table. Sasuke looked up to see her swaying a little in her spot, catching his glance once before quickly looking away. He hadn't spoke to her once since the incident the previous evening, and frankly he didn't really want to. Sakura had a tendency of finding him eventually, so he was sure she'd come and apologize eventually. After all, Sakura knew his distaste for Itachi... even if she didn't know why. Most of the others had arrived at this point, giving Sakura their undivided attention as they situated themselves around the table. She swallowed lightly and cleared her throat. "I've been talking with Kakashi-sensei, and he's agreed to chaperone our end of the year trip. I tried getting Asuma-sensei to come along with us, but he's quite busy with Math tutoring and whatnot…"

"Ooh, Sakura-chan!" Naruto raised his hand in the air, although he was already shouting. Sasuke scoffed, shaking his head once and raising a hand to smack the blond in the back of the head. "S-Sakura-chan—where are we going?" Naruto whined, reaching back and holding his head where Sasuke had hit him. "D-Damnit, Sasuke… you hit too hard, you know…" Sakura seemed to brighten up at this question as she pulled one of the pieces of paper out from her pile. She turned it to show the rest of the table, the smile still plastered across her face.

"….What is th—"

"Rome?" Sasuke enquired, raising a brow at the picture of the Roman Colosseum. "Why would you pick somewhere like Rome?" If anything, he'd pictured something tropical. Sakura flinched a little at his snappy retort, but luckily Ino piped up in her place. "Italy is the land of love, Sasuke-kun~" Ino giggled, taking a seat beside him and folding her arms along her chest. "Although, I'd much rather we went to Paris…"

As the talk about their destination continued, Sasuke detached himself from the conversation. Ah, it wasn't important. Wherever they went, he could pay for it just fine. He glanced off towards the window, his eyes narrowing as his thoughts drifted back to last night. Itachi… it seemed no matter where he went, he somehow always came back to haunt him. Itachi was the head of the international sales division and had made more money in the past two years than his parents had done in their lifetimes. This time would be different though. _He_ was going to make a name for himself at the end of this semester and take his own path. Sasuke wouldn't follow his families ugly traditions. He couldn't afford to lose himself...

"Eeh, Sasuke?" Naruto tipped his head to the side as he tapped the Uchiha's shoulder. "You been listening? We leave in three days! It's a payment plan, so we can all pay in easy amounts over the next little while. Pretty neat, huh? That way I can afford it!" Sasuke's gaze broke from the window and moved towards Naruto. Rome… what would Rome be like? Would it be old and beautiful like he'd read, with old cobblestone roads and towering, ancient structures? Maybe he needed this. Maybe he needed to get away from here and just detach himself. Yes, this trip would definitely help lift his spirits—if even a little.

"I would have paid for you regardless, dobe." Sasuke muttered, taking Naruto back a bit as he stared wide-eyed at his best friend. Sasuke may have been a terrible socialite, awful on timing and utterly cold to the bone, but his generosity and appreciation for his few close friends always made the blonde admire him so much more. "Really? So you'd pay for my ramen too?" He beamed from ear to ear, his bright blue eyes lighting up and forcing Sasuke to smirk a little. "There's no ramen in Rome, usuratonkachi."

"WHAT! YOU'RE JOKING! SASUKE, TELL ME YOU'RE LYING!"

"Nope."

From across the table, Sakura rummaged in her messenger bag for information booklets to pass around to everyone at the table. Rome hadn't been her first choice, but once she'd covered the content and gained approval from Kakashi-sensei and Tsunade, she'd come to realize that maybe it wouldn't be that bad for a graduation destination. It was the last trip they would all have together before parting ways, so she wanted to make it the best one they'd ever take. There was no doubt that everyone would remain friends after school was over... but between Hinata and Neji moving back to their parents dojo in Tokyo and Kiba, Chouji and Ino going abroad to study, there would definitely be a good chunk of time before they'd all ever see each other again._ 'Now that I think about it, Sasuke-kun hasn't decided on a university yet either...'_

The previous night at the gala she had messed up, big time. Caught by Itachi's general charm and dashingly good looks, as usual, she'd allowed herself to go against her previous reservations about staying away from him for Sasuke's sake and in the heat of the moment ended up dancing together instead. The thought of it alone stained her pale cheeks red, but the impression Itachi gave both her and Naruto was far off from what Sasuke had always described. He was a kind, caring, considerate person who also had his fair share of charitable generosity. Personally, Sakura could see nothing wrong with him. Then again, she didn't know him like Sasuke did... and maybe she owed her stubborn best friend more than that. Sasuke had always been there for her when she needed him, even in the beginning...

* * *

"_Forehead! Hey, come back forehead!"_

_Tiny legs pumped furiously through the overgrown brush outside of Konoha Elementary. It was the middle of the lunch hour, but like every other day, Sakura had been chased out of the playground by a group of girls from her class. No matter how far she ran through the school, they would always find her. And if she tried to get inside to sit in the office, maybe tell a teacher or two, they would claim their innocence and make her seem like the girl who cried wolf. They liked to pick on her because of her massive forehead and tomboyish looks, she'd made herself an easy target without even realizing. Skidding to a stop inside the blossoming brush, Sakura buckled down on her knees and covered herself up in the grass, praying they wouldn't find her. She could hear them laughing and calling out her name from not far away, but still she hid very quietly. It was only when a giant rock flew into the brush and landed smack-dab in the middle of her foot did she let her composure break. An angry sob escaped her mouth as she keeled over to the side, writhing in pain. Her outcry had given way to her location, and the girls who'd so casually thrown the rock yipped and cheered. "We found you, forehead!"_

"_Leave me alone..." Sakura cried silently, her face practically touching the mud as tears rolled off her cheeks. Nobody cared. She would come home with bruises and make excuses. The world was a cruel and unforgiving place, and she hated it._

"We said, we FOUND you." One of the nastiest girls jumped through the brush and over to her, giving her a quick kick to the gut for assurance of her victory. "Now get up and do what we say, don't make this difficult... forehead girl." She sneered, bending down beside Sakura and yanking on a handful of her mud-stained hair. "Who has pink hair anyways? You're such a freak!"

"_What are you doing?"_

_Sakura barely heard the new voice, content with just lying down in the mud and hiding away forever. Maybe it would open up into quick-sand and take her away... that would be nice... but the grip on her hair slackened and then suddenly let go. Sakura opened her eyes very slowly, looking up to see her bullies jump across the brush and dash back towards the school yard with a couple of squeals. Standing on the top of the hillside was a black parrot haired boy, his hands shoved nonchalantly in his pockets as he looked down silently at Sakura. The both of them retained eye-contact for a minute or two until Sakura let out a slow sigh, which quickly turned into hysterical sobbing. Someone had scared them away, but now he was looking down at her just like everyone else._

_"Go away...!" Sakura cried, pushing herself up slowly up to her knees and rubbing angrily at her eyes. "Just leave m-me alone, p-please..."_

"_Are you hurt?" Sakura gasped, jolting her head up from between her hands to see the boy kneeling down in front of her. He was quick! Gazing at him through her pink bangs, she watched as he pulled out a black handkerchief and grabbed her chin with his free hand. At his touch, Sakura retracted instantly and turned away from him – more scared than anything. People just hit her, made fun of her, and tortured her because they could. Because she let them. The thought made tears swell up in her eyes again as she curled her legs up close to her chest, small sobs shaking her frame._

_"Do you let them hit you?" The boy spoke quietly behind her, making her emerald eyes water even more. "If I were you, I would fight back. I'd kick and scream and make a fuss." As she pulled her head up from between her knees, disbelief at what she was hearing, he was in front of her __**again.**__ He didn't look like he smiled a lot, but there was something oddly calming about his demeanour. It relaxed her a little, and as he reached out to wipe her face again, he paused beforehand. "Please don't pull away."_

"_Who... w-who are you..." Sakura mumbled quietly, staring into a pair of deep onyx eyes. The boy didn't smile at her question, but he didn't frown either. He simply looked complacent as he pressed the handkerchief down on her cheek and began working away at the blotches of mud. Sakura stayed still for him, captivated by his subtle kindness._

_"Uchiha Sasuke."_

"_Alright, everyone, let's pick teams!" Iruka-sensei smiled as he gathered everyone in a circle inside the gymnasium. It was a typical game of dodge ball, and as usual, Sakura stood near the back of the group knowing she would have to be put on a team by Iruka-sensei. That was just the way things went."This time for captains we'll have Shikamaru lead one team, and..." He looked down at his clip-board and went through a check-list of student names. "Sakura! You can lead the other one. You haven't lead a team yet, have you?"_

_Sakura's breath caught in her throat. Suddenly, it seemed like all heads turned to her. "I-Iruka-s-sensei... I d-don't..." But there would be no arguing with him, she had opted out of all her class participation despite her high intellect simply for this reason. Apparently, however, gym didn't count. The class watched as both Shikamaru and Sakura took their respective places at the front of the gym, while Sakura clenched her hands tightly behind her back. She couldn't even bring herself to look up and around at everyone, let alone pick someone..._

_"I pick Chouji first."_

_"Okay! You're up, Sakura."_

_Her eyes were closed tight. She could hear the class mumbling as she said nothing, her small palms shaking violently as fear gripped her entire body. "Look, forehead can't even speak! I bet she doesn't even have any friends to pick! Hahaha!" A few kids laughed, and then the chatter began. Nobody seemed to care. While Iruka-sensei tried to calm the class down, she could still hear the subtle insults._

**Forehead.**

_Forehead._

**_Forehead._**

_"__I would fight back."_

"_U-Uchih-ha S-Sasuke!" Yelling at the top of her lungs, Sakura curled her hands into fists at her side and stood up on her tippy-toes. The entire class went silent; even Iruka-sensei stopped to look over at her. Then suddenly, as if on cue, the entire class burst out in laughter. Even the boys. _

"_Y-yeah, right! Like Sasuke is gonna go with you! He always goes with the boys!"_

"_Sasuke-kun is too good!"_

"_Dream on, forehead!"_

_Sakura's eyes watered heavily as she looked out at everyone laughing. She closed her eyes, simply wishing to disappear again. Then, as if her prayers had been answered, the room went silent. She thought maybe it was a work of magic, or the gods reaching out to her in pity... but when her eyes opened again, she was still in the gym...standing face to face with none other than Uchiha Sasuke, the one and only. Emerald eyes blinked wildly in shock, but Sasuke said nothing and moved to stand beside her._

_"Sasuke..."_

* * *

Sakura closed her eyes, taking in a quick breath and sighing softly to herself at the vivid recollection of memories that seemed like eons ago. There was no room for messing up anymore. She'd been careless in accepting Itachi's invitation. Sasuke had always been there, silent and brooding, but supportive nonetheless. Her feelings for the Uchiha had changed over the years; they had evolved into something much more deep than she could ever imagine. Still, for the sake of their friendship and to save herself from being utterly rejected like many other girls, Sakura kept her mouth shut.

There was no way he could ever know. She wouldn't ever speak a word.

* * *

The school day had just come to a close, and much like usual, Sasuke had wasted no time in getting himself ready to head home. On any other day, he would have joined Naruto and Rock Lee down at the riverbed for a bit of sparring, but he wasn't exactly in the best of moods. He'd come extremely close to losing his lead GPA this afternoon, and frankly he wasn't too impressed. There was too much leisure time he'd decided, it was time to hit the books while the final crackdown was still approaching. Sasuke sighed to himself, walking along the street and away from the school with his hands shoved in his pockets. It was a nice afternoon, the blooming trees cast a cool shadow across the sidewalk that made it pleasant even without a coat. He revelled in his peaceful solitude, if only for a short time. There was so much to think about, so much to do lately... only the calming sound of birds seemed to soothe his already rigid nerves.

"Sasuke-kun!"

He could recognize that voice anywhere. Still, he didn't want to stop. _Just keep walking_, he thought. _She wouldn't chase you forever_. Unfortunately, he also knew that to be utterly untrue. Sakura was more stubborn and hard-headed than Naruto was or would ever be... so in all honesty, she was a little more difficult to deal with. Imagining exactly how far he would get before she connected a fist into the back of his head, Sasuke decided to quit while ahead and simply stopped. He could hear her running up from behind, but took no effort to turn around and face her. Something about her actions the previous night really... _annoyed_him.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sasuke twitched, a vein pulsing on his forehead. "I didn't see you all day besides lunch, so I didn't get a chance..." Sakura stopped behind him, pressing a hand up against her chest and quietly catching her breath. When she noticed that he wouldn't even turn to speak to her, her instincts told her immediately that something was amiss. "If it's about your stupid trip, I don't care. I'll go." He spat back, hunching his shoulders up slightly, onyx eyes narrowing in distaste.

Usually, the young girl would have continued on with her apology and let him make another snap or two before walking off- but something about his actions in that very moment... it was almost aggravating. Here she was, about to apologize profusely to him for betraying his trust (in a complicated way at that) and all he could ever do was just give her attitude. _Just because we're friends doesn't mean you can push me around, shanarro! _"I came to apologize for last night. It was wrong of me to just accept your brothers invitation without considering how you would feel about it." She raised a brow, leaning slightly to the right and waiting impatiently for his reaction. For a while, nothing was said between them. Silence sat like an unwelcome house guest. This was often the case between them; Sasuke had never been a man of many words, while Sakura had been a woman of plenty. It was a definitive contrast in their personalities, and they both knew it very well.

"...Itachi is nothing." His voice was so uncharacteristically soft that at first, she wasn't sure if he'd spoken or not. The wind howled in the distance, and all the young girl could do was stare stupidly at the back of his head. Sasuke had his open moments. They were rare and scarce, kind of like Naruto's brief intellectual moments. "Back then... I was alone. He abandoned us when we needed him most. When I needed him..." Sasuke's gaze dropped down towards the pavement, his knuckles clenched so tightly he was sure his fingernails would break through the skin of his palm. "You wouldn't understand."

"I know." Sasuke looked up to see her standing beside him, smiling as if he'd just said something wonderful. Her bright emerald eyes reminded him of sweeping green fields, of summer days long lost to his disturbed youth. They set him on edge, yet relieved him at the same time. "Sasuke-kun, you've always been there for me no matter what. So it doesn't matter if I don't understand why. Let's just forget about home for a while and go have some fun, okay?" Sasuke stared at her for a moment or two, inwardly puzzled by her cheeriness. The inner workings of Sakura's mind would always prove to be an enigma.

"Yeah." He mumbled, a ghost of a smirk curling his lips upward at the thought. "Should be fun."

He had no idea.


End file.
